Freight car loading apparatus



July lg, 1938. G. M. REIFER FREIGHT GAR LOADING APPARATUS Filed March25, 1937 w l f y wrm/mu Patented July 19, v1938 y FREIGHT CAR LOADINGAPPARATUS George M, Reiter, Rochester, Mich., assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit,'Mich., a

corporation of Delaware Application Marcif. 1937, Serial No. 132,932

11 claim.

'I'hisinvention has to do with adjustable load bracing means for holdingfreight in box cars and the like. It consists in the provision ofstanchions, preferably of channel iron, which are adjustably positionedalong the sidewall of the car by engaging their ends with suitableholding means arranged along top and bottom of the side walls of thecar. The channel irons are adapted to receive between them adjustablebraces which engage the freight and prevent its shifting in the car.

The invention has `to do with a cheap and simple arrangement of partsfor'accomplishing the above result, and is also characterized by theconvenience with which the desi-red adjustments may be made.

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of the side wall of a freight carwith one of the stanchions in place.

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper end of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the lower end of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows one of the spikes or keys which may be used to hold thelower end of the stanchion in place.

l indicates a sheet metal strip adapted to be secured preferably alongthe top of the side wall of a freight car. The upper end of the strip isformed to provide outwardly and downwardly bent tongues I2 anddownwardly and outwardly bent abutments I4 alternating with the tongues.The tongues and abutments are slightly spaced as shown at I6.

To the bottom of the car or to the side wall adjacent the bottom issecured the notched strip I8, the notches corresponding with the tonguesI2 of the strip I0. Channel iron stanchions`2ll` are adapted to bepositioned as shown in Figure 2 with tongue I2 occupying the upper endof the channel and the lower end of the stanchion seated in a notch inthe strip- I8. The spike or key 2|, shown in Figure 4, is inserted in ahole in the floor to prevent displacement of the lower end of thestanchion.A It will be noted from Figures 1 and 2 that the abutments I4engage the iianges of the channel at the upper end, and assist thetongues in resisting displacement of the stanchion under the heavyforces exerted on them by the freight in transit.

As indicated in Figures 1 and 2 the stanchions 20 are adapted to receivebraces 22 which as shown may consist of channel iron with a woodenfiller as shown. The braces 22 may be adjustably supported in anydesired position along the length (ci. 10s-ass) o! the stanchion bymeans of pins 2l engaging alined apertures 26 in the flanges of thechannel. 'Ihe described construction obviously provides a cheap andsimple method of adjustable bracing for freight car loads. It isobvious, of course, 5 that it is equally applicable to other carriersand the term "freight car is used in the claims with this connotation.It will also be understood that the invention is capable of considerablemodification as, for example,.by reversing the position of the top andbottom strips, and it will be understood that the terms top, bottom andso on are used in a relative sense only, and not in an absolute sense.

I claim:

1. Adjustable load bracing means for freight cars and the likecomprising a strip secured to a car wall and extending longitudinallythereof, said strip being provided with outwardly extending abutmentsand with downturned tongues 2 alternating with the abutments and spacedtherefrom, a stanchion having one end adapted to be telescoped over anyof said tongues, portions of said end being adapted to engage adjacentabutments to resist displacement, and means for securing the other endof the stanchions in position.

2. Adjustable load bracing means for freight cars and the likecomprising a strip secured to a car wall and extending longitudinallythereof, said strip being provided with outwardly extending abutmentsand with down-turned tongues alternating with the abutments and spacedtherefrom, a stanchion having one end adapted to be telescoped over anyof said tongues, portions of said end being adapted to engage adjacentabutments to resist displacement, a strip secured to the rcar walladjacent the bottom thereof, said strip being notched to provide socketsto receive the lower ends of the stanchions and means for securing thestanchions in said notches.

3. Adjustable load bracing means for freight cars comprising a stripsecured adjacent the top of the side of the car. said strip beingprovided with spaced outwardly and downwardly bent tongues, a stripsecured adjacent the bottom of the side wall having notches thereincorresponding with said tongues, and a channel iron stanchion adapted toreceive any one of said tongues within its channel at one end thereofwhile the other end of the stanchion is received in the correspondingnotch.

4. In the combination as defined in claim 3,

vabutments extending outwardly from the firstnamed strip between saidtongues and spaced therefrom and adapted to engage the sides of thechannel to prevent lateral displacement thereof.

5. Adjustable load bracing means for freight cars comprising a stripsecured adjacent the top of the side of s,A car, said strip beingprovided with outwardly and downwardly bent tongues alternating with andspaced from downwardly and outwardly bent abutments, a strip securedadjacent the bottom of the side wall having notches thereincorresponding with said tongues. and a channel iron stanchion adapted toreceive any-V one of said tongues within said channel at one end thereofwhile the other end is received in the corresponding notch.

6. A strip for receiving stanchlons for use in freight car loadingcomprising a longitudinallg extending securing portion, tonguesoutwardly and downwardly bent from one edge of said securing portionalternating with and spaced from abutments extending outwardly betweensaid tongues.

'7. A strip for receiving stanchlons for use in freight car loadingcomprising a longitudinally extending securing portion, tonguesoutwardly and downwardly bent from one edge of said securing portionalternating with and spaced from abutments bent downwardly and outwardlyfrom the same edge of said securing portion.

8. Adjustable load bracing means for freight cars and the likecomprising spaced lugs extending longitudinally of the car alongopposite side walls thereof, said lugs including downturned end portionsextending parallel to but spaced from said walls. a pair of stanchlonsarranged at opposite sides of the car. each of said stanchlons havingits upper end formed to provide a socket and being arranged with one ofsecuring the lower ends of the stanchion againstlongitudlnal-dlsplacement, and braces extending between said stanchlonsand holding them against inward movement. v

In the combination as donned in claim s, the securing means for thelower ends of the stanchlons comprising a strip extending longitudinallyof the car adjacent the bottoms of the side walls thereof and havingnotches to receive the ends of the stanchlons.

10. Adjustable load bracing means for freight cars and the likecomprising strips secured adjacent the tops of the opposite side wallsof the car and extending longitudinally thereof, spaced tongues bentfrom said strip and having downturned end portions lying parallel to butspaced from the said side walls, a pair of stanchlons each having oneend formed to provide a socket adapted to receive any one of saidend'portions to position the stanchion against longitudinaldisplacement, said stanchlons being so positioned opposite each otheralong the car walls, means for securing the lower ends of saidstanchlons against longitudinal displacement, and a brace extendingbetween said stanchions and holding them against inward displacement. y.

1l. In the combination as deilned in claim 1 the means for holding thelower ends of said stanchlons against longitudinal displacementcomprising bars extending longitudinally of the side walls adjacent thebottoms thereof and having notches to receive the lower ends of thestanchions.

GEORGE M. REIFER.

